Tracker-board mechanism for pneumatically-operated pianos.



Patented July 27, 1909.

-. umunin'ucicl A. G. GULBRANSEN. v TRACKER BOARD MECHANISM FOR PNEUMATIGALLY OPERATED PIANOS. APPEIOATION FILED 00T.17,1908

IIlVElTEIl'P XEl G. Sabra-1115511 A urne s WIHESEEE 1% UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIQJE.

AXEL G. GULBRANSEN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOPQTO GULBRANSEN, DICKINSON COMPANY, .OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

TRACKER-BOARD MECHANISM FOR INEUMATICALLY-OPEBATED PIANOS.

No. 929,301. Specification of Letters Patent. Patented July 27, 1909. Application filed October 17, 1908. Serial No. 458,171.

To all whom it may concern; skilled in the art. In this rear plate are two Be it known that I, AXELG. GULnnANsEN, arallel rows and 6 of openings, the row 5 a citizen of the United States, residing at liaving sixty-live openings, and the row 6 Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of having eigl'ity-eight openings. These ,open

5 Illinois, have invented a certain new and ings all extend through the bar 1 at right 60 useful Improvement in 'lracker-Board Meehangles to its faces, and each has associated anism for Pneumatically Operated Pianos, therewith a coupling tube section 7 to which of which the following a full, clear, con: are attached rubber tubes for connecting the cise, and exact description, reference being openings with. the neumatics of the pneuhad to the accompanying drawings, forming niatic playing mechanism. Sixty-live pneua part of this specification. matics Wouldhe represented in each row, and

My invention relates to tracker-boardniecha common connection from each pneumatic anism for pneumatically operated pianos, with its corresponding openings in the rows its object being to provide improved con is, therefore, used. Referring to Fig. 4, the

struction whereby the tracker board can be rubber tube 8 connect-s with the correspondadjusted to accommodate music sheets coning pneumatic and the Y coupling 9 controllipg different ranges of notes. nects with the tube sections 10 and 1], which At the resent time there are two classes of engage the coupling tube sections 12 and 13 music rol sin use, one for controlling a sixtyrespectively, which communicate with corlive note range, and the other for controlling responding openings of the rows 5 and 6. To i an eighty-eight note range. Both of these allord a more accessible arrangement, the classes of music being on the nmrket, it is de tubes in-each row are bent alternately in 0psirable that a single tracker hoardbe adapted posite directions, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. so that with very slight and simple adjust- The twenty-three additional openings in row ment, the tracker board can accommodate 6, of course, connect each through a separate either one of the classes. tube with its corresponding pneumatic.

In the accompanying drawmgs, which In order to bring either one of the rows clearly illustrate my invention, Figure l is a into action. the adjustable front plate 2 is plan view of the tracker board, Fig. 2- is aside provided, this front plate also having two view thereof with the parts broken m iy-to rows 14, '15, each having the same number 85 more clearly illustrate the construction and and the same spacing of openings as the rows operation, liig. 3 an end view, l ig. 4 a 5 and 6, so that the openings in row 5 can sectional view taken on. the plane =l---4 ot register with the opening: row14, and the Fig. 2, Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on the openings in r v 6 can register with the openplane 5 5 of Fig. 2, and Fig. 6 is a sectional iriggjs in. row 1.; upon pro or adjustment ol' the view taken on the ilane 6-6 of Fig. 2. bar 22. As shown in igs. 1 and 4, rows 5 'lhe-tracker boarr comprises the rcarmemand 6 are closer together than rows 14 and her or plate 1 and the front member or plate 15, and I adapt the bar 2 to be moved trans 2, the front member over which the music versely'withreference to the bar 1. The bar 40 travels being properly rounded. The rear 2 is held. to the bar 1 byscrews 16 which plate 1 at its ends has pockets or grooves 3 'passithrough vertical slots 17 in the bar 1 and which are open at the bottom but closed at which thread into the bar 2, aspring 18intertheir top, and these pockets receive guiding vcning between the head of each screw and and supporting members 4, which may be in the bar 1. Between the bars a layer 19 of the form of angle pieces, as shown. These leather or other sealing material is inserted. angle pieces are secured to rigid supports ad- By means of the screws 16, the engagement jacent the tracker board, and engage with of the bar 2 with the bar 1 can be adjusted to friction lit in the pockets 3, the pockets being prevent leakage, the vertical slot 17 allowing of suilicient depth so that the rear plate I transverse movement of the bar2. Tomain- 50 can. be adjusted longitudinally, the purpose tain the corresponding openings of the rows of this heing to allow longitiulinal adjust in vertical alinement, guide extensions 20 on ment of the tracker bar transversely of the the har 2 engage in guide slots 21 guiding the music sheet so that the music openings will bar 1. As a means for readily adjusting the conic into register with the tracker hoard bar to bring either the rows 14 or 15 into 0penings, this being Well understood those register with the rows 5 or- 6, 1 provide an adjusting lever 22 at each end of the bar;

enterends so as not to hinder the vertical swing of the levers. With. this arrangement when the levers are swung. either upwardly or downwardly they engage the bar Eat the rear ends of openings 24, and the bar is either 'raised or lowered. In the position shown inFigs. 1 and 4 the levers are in their lower position and the bar 2 is in its lower position with the upper row 14 in register With the row 5, and the rowG being m1 1 led by the solid part of the bar ifhe tracker board, therefore, is in position to accommodate sixty-five note music. If the levers were now moved to their upper position, the bar 2 would bera'ised, and the openings in row 15 will come into register with the o enings in row 6, while the openings 5 wil be muted, the tracker bar hein g then in position. to accommodate eighty-eight note music. Thus by merely raising or lowering the levers, adjustment is at once made for the accommodation of either range of music. Very little force is required to accomplish this adjustment owing to the leverage arrangement of the adjusting levers. The screws 16 can be adjusted to reduce the friction between the bars to a minimum. The friction, however, must be enough so that'the bar 2 is maintained in any adjusted position and also so that there will be no leakage between the bars. 15y means of the support of the bar 1 on the guide members 4, as has been described, the entire har structure can also be readily moved longitudinally toadjust the active openings with reference to the music openings.

Having thus described my invention I de sire to secure the following claims by Letters Patent:

1. A tracker board comprising a rectan gular rearbar having rows of openings adapt ed for connection with pneumatic mechanisms to be controlled, a front bar having rows of openings adapted for association with music sheets, said front bar being held to the rear bar and adapted for transverse movement thereon to, bring any row of openings in said bar into register with a similar row of openings in therear bar, and adjusting levers passing through said bars andipivoted to one of said bars and having engage ment with the other bar at intermediate points, swinging of said levers causing transsurface and adapted for connection with verse movement of the front her over the rear bar to brin similar rows into register.

2. In vtrackerhoard mechanism for pneujmatically operated instruments, the combination of an inner bar having a flat outer surface and openings terminating in said pneumatic playing devices to be controlled, an outer bar having a rear flat surface for engaging the flat surface of the inner bar, there being openings through said front bar whlch register at their rear ends with the; openings in the rear bar and which at their front ends are adapted for association with o enings in music sheets traveling over sai trackerboard, and lever mechanism pivoted to the inner bar and having engagement with the outer bar, swinging of said lever mechanism. causing said outer bar to slide transversely over the inner bar to'bring the openings in said bars into register. 4

In tracker-board mechanism for pneumatically operated instruments, the combination of a rear bar having a fiat front surface and openings terminating in said surface and adapted for connection with pneumatic mechanism to be controlled, a rectangular front bar guided on said rear bar and having a flat surface engaging the flat surface of the rearbar, there being openings through said front bar adapted to register with the openings in the rear bar and adapted to cooperate with music sheet openings, levers pivoted to the rear bar and extending forwardly through openings in the front bar, swinging of said levers causing transverse movement of the front bar over the rear bar to carry the openings into or out of register.

4. In trackerboard mechanism for pneumatically operated instruments, the combination of a rear bar having a flat front surface and openings terminating in said surface and adapted for connection with pneumatic mechanism to be controlled, a rectangular front bar guided on said rear bar and having a flat surface engaging the flat surface of the rear bar, there being openings through said front bar adapted to register with openings in'the rear bar and adapted to cooperate with music sheet openings, there being sets of registering vertical slots through said bars, levers pivoted to the rear bar and extending through'said registering slots and adapted for engagement with the front bars at the rear edge of the slots therethrough whereby swinging of said levers willcause transverse movement of the front bar over the rear bar. I

5. In. trackerboard mechanism for pneumatically operated instruments, the combination of a rear bar having openings adaptwith the rear bar openings, transverse guid-' mg members for guiding said front bar on the rear bar screws-controlled spring mechanism for holding said frontbar against the rear bar and for allowing transverse movement of said front bar, and levers pivoted to the rear bar and having engagement with the front bar, swinging of said levers causing transverse movement of the front bar over the rear bar to bring openings in said bar into register with openings in the rear bar.

In trackerboard mechanism for pneumatically operated instruments, the combination of a rear bar having openings adapted for connection with pneumatic mechanism to be controlled, a front bar having openings for registering with the rear bar 0 )enings' and for cooperating with a music 5160i), screws passing through slots in the rear bar and secured in the front bar, springs cooperating with said screws to hold. the 'ront bar yieldingly against the rear bar, levers pivoted to the rear bar and adapted for engagement with the front bar to cause transverse movement of said front bar over the rear bar. r 7. In trackerboard mechanism for pneu,'-

matically operated'instruments, the combi-- nation of a rear bar, a front bar engaging the rear bar, said rear bar having vertical slots, screws passlng through said slots and threading into the front bar, springs between the.

v'etse movement of the front bar-over the rear bar.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 15th day of October, A. D.

AXEL G. GULBRANSEN. Witnesses CHARLES J. SCHMIDT, FRANK J. THELEN. 

